Naruto didn't truly understand where he was at the moment, or recall what he had been doing before entering wherever he was now. All he currently knew was his name, and absolute pain. Pure, unrestricted agony that felt like it was affecting every cell in his body. He tried to scream, but no noise passed his chapped lips.

He definitely felt another presence with him, but what was weird was that he could feel the presence everywhere around him, surrounding him in an ominous and invisible shroud. Naruto only knew that there was another being around him due to its immense power. Even with the overbearing power surrounding his body, it was barely noticeable due to the overly intense pain his entire body felt. He couldn't even open his eyes to take a quick glance of his surroundings.

"Rise mortal…"

Upon hearing the simple demand, Naruto was alleviated of his previous pain, but almost as quickly as the pain subsided, he felt immensely fatigued. Even with his well-known stamina and endurance, it took all he had to obey the demand of this currently unknown being. Naruto groaned as he made his first attempt at moving his tired body. The first stage was rolling over so his stomach was on the ground. The second stage was pushing his body off of the smooth ground, which was much more difficult than he could have imagined. Naruto stopped his attempt at getting to his feet on his hands and knees, panting heavily, trying to fill his lungs with much needed oxygen due to the strain he was putting his body through. After a full minute of slowly attempting to catch his breath, he opened his right eye slowly, and when he did, he fell backwards in clear surprise. It seemed that he had forgotten his previous fatigue, but it came back in full force that was nearly enough to make him pass out from the sudden effort he had just put his body through.

In front of him was something that not even his apparent amnesia could force him to forget. Although he had never met this entity in person, his half Uzumaki blood suddenly ran cold upon witnessing the apparition. The reason being was that this apparition was very well known in the Uzumaki clan as it was used in the one seal that nobody should use unless it was an absolute last resort, and even then it wasn't recommended. Floating before the Uzumaki-Namikaze child was the death god himself, the Shinigami. Naruto had never truly seen it as far as he could remember, which currently wasn't a lot, but he knew it was too early to witness this terrifying ghost-like god. He easily towered over Naruto in both height and width. His hair was a dim white color and was absolutely unruly. It was long, thick, and had no sign of proper treatment prior to this engagement. Two devil-like horns protruded from the mass of hair. His clothing seemed to only be a large robe that exposed his open, seemingly ill-nourished torso. The sleeves hung down below his waist and his fingers were just barely exposed. The last and most imposing feature of the death god was his face. His eyes were hallowed and pitch black with an almost sad expression, while his mouth showed was seemed to be the complete opposite. He was sporting a wide, sharp toothed grin as he bit down on a large, straight, pristine knife. Whether the death god's face was truly his or this was a sort of mask hiding his true, more terrifying visage, Naruto didn't know or want to find out.

"Rise mortal. Do not test my patience." The Shinigami said with a voice that Naruto couldn't exactly figure out. It sounded like a mixture of different voices with emotions ranging from sorrowful to pure hatred to prodigious joy and mirth. Somehow Naruto knew that none of these voices or emotions truly belonged to the death god, but were of those he had taken the souls of.

Pushing himself past his currently pathetic limit, Naruto slowly rose to his feet, letting out exerted grunts. After several long minutes, Naruto shakily rose to his feet and took in several desperate intakes of precious oxygen. Naruto opened both of his blue eyes that were once a beautiful and clear blue, were now a dull and almost clouded dark blue. Naruto felt slight fear being in the presence of the death god, but also felt at peace. Something he somehow knew he hadn't felt in a long time.

"Naruto Uzumaki. Your life has been short and painful beyond belief. Honestly I expected to see you sooner," the death god said with the same level of speaking as before, "You have defied both your fate as a pariah to your village and a failure as a shinobi, but through all of the verbal and physical abuse, you persevered and proved that you are not the demon your village claims you to be through sheer willpower."

Several memories flashed in Naruto's mind. Bits and pieces of his childhood forced themselves to the surface. The beatings, the ridicule, the pure hatred behind each glare sent his way. Naruto gripped his hair tightly in an attempt to shove these painful memories aside, but they weren't having any of it. His now present migraine increased with each memory that was forced back into Naruto's mind.

As Naruto held back a pained scream, the Shinigami continued, "Over time, your village began to acknowledge you and praise you. It was only after your battle with a puppet used by a distant relative of yours, Nagato Uzumaki, and the battle with said relative that your village finally accepted you with open arms and a smile. You somehow felt no resentment towards their sudden change of heart due to your pure being. This became your strength when you took the first step to take control of the demon that was sealed inside you by facing your darkness. Later you were able to harness the powers of the demon and even later than that, you became his friend." The Shinigami said, with absolutely zero changes in his expression or tone.

At the mention of these feats, Naruto's memories changed to less painful ones, his battle with Pain/Nagato being the first. That had been the most difficult battle of his life. He had arrived at his village merely seconds after Pain had wiped out nearly every building that once stood. He remembered feeling the life energy of those around him, and as if to add to his already rampant emotions upon seeing his godfather's murderer(s), he learned that his sensei had also been slain by these walking, piercing covered corpses. Naruto would have lost that fight if it wasn't for the sudden attack by a dark blue haired beauty that held a look of determination in her pale eyes that he was sure nobody else could possibly hold.

'Hinata…' Naruto remembered. He was reminded of her sudden confession. He remembered the guilt he felt for not giving her an answer. Even now he wasn't sure what his answer would be, but now he felt like he'd never be able to give her a response.

Naruto pleaded for her to retreat and leave him to his captor, but she calmly refused. She knew she was possibly going to die. In fact it was basically inevitable at this point, but that wasn't going to stop her. She proclaimed her love for him just before she took a combat stance and the one-sided battle ensued. The only way Pain was defeated was when the seal that held the nine-tailed beast inside Naruto had weakened almost to the point of breaking due to Naruto witnessing what he thought was the death of Hinata.

The next memory was at the waterfall where he spoke to his inner self. This was a strange experience all together seeing a teenager looking exactly like him except for two noticeable details. One being the black eyes with red pupils, and two being the dark and tainted personality. Naruto failed to beat his own darkness in his first attempt when he tried using brute force, but succeeded the second time after accepting his darkness as a part of him, which later let him gain access to fighting Kurama, the nine-tailed demon sealed within him. Another battle he would have lost if not for the intervention of another woman of obvious beauty, his mother. With her help, he was able to take Kurama's power as his own, much to the more than noticeable annoyance and anger of Naruto's tenant. They became friends after they found a common enemy in Obito Uchiha and Madara Uchiha.

"After yet another life or death battle with a demigod in his own right, Madara Uchiha and later on Kaguya, the Rabbit Goddess. As you may or may not be currently aware of, that led to your final battle with Sasuke Uchiha, which inevitably led to both your deaths. This is why you are here now. You are the first to be granted this from me, a second chance due to all of your good deeds and achievements. Nobody has achieved this chance in any lifetime. There are going to be a few changes, most of them will be very drastic, but I feel that you will accept them." The death god stated, now looming over Naruto, awaiting his response.

Naruto had no words to describe his thoughts. He had several emotions running through his very core at once. Joy, pain, relief, betrayal, and so many more. His memories were returning to the point where only bits and pieces were missing. He wanted to return to his friends, to his home, but that may not be the case. This offer had to have some form of catch, some sort of drawback.

"What will change?" Naturo croaked out. His voice was raspy and ragged. The death god straightened his back once more.

"Before I start, I ask that you do not interrupt me. I am short on time and I don't like to be asked more than the necessary amount of questions." The Shinigami paused, waiting for Naruto's agreement to not interrupt the explanation that will be rather lengthy. After Naruto weakly nodded, the Shinigami continued, "Good answer. Now what I am about to offer you is better than death, in my opinion. The first part of this agreement is that you will not be returning to your world by my means," Naruto's eyes widened in shock and he was just about to protest, but was shot down when he remembered what was actually happening, while noticing Naruto's reaction, he did not stop his explanation. "If you are able to return by your own ability, you may do so, but only after some of my terms have been met. Which I will explain in a moment." The Shinigami paused for a mere second, "This world you will be entering is one somewhat like your own. Instead of chakra, the people of this world use magic. This energy is derived from a different source than your chakra, however. While chakra is manifested from your very own body, magic is an energy that is constantly present around the world. It can he absorbed or harnessed by what this world calls mages. Magic is a large part of the daily lives of the people of this world, known as Earthland. I am sending you to this world so that you can do what you have accomplished in your world, peace. I am not just the death god of your world. I am the death god of many worlds, although I take different forms, but even an immortal entity such as myself grows tired from the constant work. I sense many dark powers rising in Earthland, and I wish to have a bit of weight lifted off of me. You are already powerful compared to even the strongest of mages in Earthland, but to further your own success, I will grant you some of the abilities and/or weapons of those who you have known in your life that are currently deceased. Do you accept?" The Shinigami asked, but it barely sounded like a question. It sounded more like a demand.

Naruto stared at the ground in deep thought. He honestly didn't want to fight anymore. He was so tired of constantly fighting on order to gain peace, and once he had finally found it, he was killed by his friend and rival. He promised Itachi that he would protect Sasuke, but ironically, he killed him. He was so infuriated with himself for being so blind to Sasuke's own darkness, but if there was a chance he could return to the ones he loved, he was going to take it. The death god said that if he could find a way to return to his home from Earthland, he would be allowed to.

"I accept," Naruto said with slight determination in his voice.

The death god nodded, "You will leave momentarily, but I will first tell you about the people who will grant you their power one way or another. These are people who you have affected positively before their demise. Only the strongest of these people will present themselves to you, but luckily, you have made strong connections to powerful ninja in your time. Unfortunately for you, when you go into Earthland, you won't remember this conversation, or the conversations that you are about to have with these people. You will have a more difficult time activating some of their powers more than others, but you will figure them out with time. Once these abilities are discovered, you will remember what will be said between these people and yourself. Are we clear?" The Shinigami finished, awaiting Naruto's response.

Naruto answered after a few long seconds of trying to comprehend this news. He wouldn't even know whose power he has until he somehow unlocked it, which he didn't even know how he would or how he would be able to unlock those powers.

"Yes," Naruto said with even more determination as he clenched his fists in preparation for his new assignment.

The Shinigami nodded in acknowledgement before taking the long dagger out of his mouth, "Then, Naruto Uzumaki, our business is concluded." The Shinigami said. Then in a flash, the death god stabbed his dagger deep into Naruto's chest.

Naruto was now very confused. First he was fighting for his life against Sasuke, and then he was nearly asleep in a free fall. He could feel wind blowing violently through his clothes at his increasing velocity. He slowly opened his eyes and saw the increasingly close ground. He had no time to right his fall as he was sent crashing through a ceiling of a large building, and then through yet another floor until he formed a crater in the building's basement area. Naruto felt no pain however, which he found strange. Perhaps his healing capabilities were increasing? Not likely, but he would keep that in mind at least.

Naruto didn't quite register the gasps when he was sent through the roof, but he definitely heard all of the shouts of surprise when they saw him slowly standing up. He stumbled somewhat, but was caught by two figures he couldn't make out the shapes of. He just saw blobs of mixed colors. When he tried to focus, he regretted it almost immediately as a sudden wave of nausea hit him with full force. He was barely able to hold in his vomit through the whole experience.

Soon enough, he was hauled into a white room with a few windows where the rays of the sun outside shone through brightly. His carriers laid him on a somewhat soft bed before he was surrounded by several different blobs that were talking incoherently. Naruto heard a much louder voice enter the room, effectively silencing everyone. The next thing Naruto knew, nearly everyone was out of the room at a hurried pace, leaving only three to remain. One blob, which was the same height as one blob, but much taller than the third, made an attempt to get closer and reached out their (what he assumed was a) hand. Instinctively, Naruto reached into his pouch, which was surprisingly there considering his last memory, and pulled out a kunai, ignoring his nausea the best he possibly could. The second blob made to pull something from its side, but was stopped by a shout from the shorter blob. Naruto looked between the three blobs slowly. He didn't feel any sort of harmful intent coming from these things, so he withdrew his kunai reluctantly. The hand once again appeared before him, slower this time. Seeing as how Naruto didn't show any signs of pulling another weapon out, the hand moved until it was on his chest, gently pushing him down. Naruto went along with the gentle force until he was lying comfortably on the bed he was on. Almost as soon as his head hit the soft pillow, he fell into a dreamless sleep.

Naruto woke once again, now feeling much more restored and energized than before, but still had some feeling of fatigue. He pushed his body up, thankfully no longer feeling his previous nausea. This time it was nighttime and the room was filled with silence. Naruto wanted to call out so someone, but decided that if the people who aided him lived in this building, it would be rude of him to wake them. He may be an idiot, but at least he had knew enough not to be rude to anyone who offered their help, regardless of the situation.

Naruto slowly left his comfortable bet and with trained stealth and dexterity he walked at a moderate pace, making zero noise to the untrained ear. There were very few rooms in this building, but each room was rather large. There was what he assumed was the main lobby of the building, consisting of wooden tables surrounded by wooden chairs. He could tell that some of these tables and chairs were rather old, but some looked like they were made recently. There was a large bar at the opposite end of the entrance to the building. Several types of alcohol and mugs lined the wall in all shapes and sizes. There was a bulletin board with so many papers, they were barely hanging on the wood of the board itself. He idly wondered why there were so many papers and for what they were for, but decided to wait until he was familiar with his surroundings. Naruto saw that there were stairs that ran up from the side of the bar to a second floor. He was about to ascend the staircase when a purposefully audible clearing of a throat put him on the alert. Naruto quickly jumped back and drew his kunai once again, but what he saw was not at all what he expected.

"Is that how you greet everyone who approaches you?" A short, elderly man said with amusment in his voice. Naruto was surprised by just how short this man actually was. Naruto was unsure if the man could come up to his own waist. The man had a white and bushy mustache that matched his aging hairstyle, which was spiked on the sides, but was completely bald at the top. His slate black eyes expressed his experienced earned by his age. He wore black pants and a white collared shirt, which was worn under a maroon vest and had simple brown shoes. The final piece of clothing was a tan cape hung on his shoulders with a long collar.

"No, but I'm not sure where I am, so forgive me if I seem hostile to you, old man." Naruto said with a calm tone, but it had an underlying tone of caution.

The man raised his hands in order to show Naruto that he wasn't a threat. "It's quite alright boy. You can never be too careful. We are strangers to you after all. However, I would like to fix that." The old man stated. After a few moments Naruto twirled his kunai and slid it into his pouch in one swift motion. He was impressed with the skill and ease that Naruto sheathed his weapon while keeping direct eye contact with him.

"Well first of, how about we exchange our names, hm? I am Makarov Dreyer." The now dubbed Makarov said with a smile, finally bringing his hands back down to his sides.

Naruto smiled, "I'm Naruto Uzumaki! Nice to meet you," Naruto stated brightly. Makarov nodded, now acknowledging the blond before him.

"It's nice to meet you Naruto. Where are you from? You certainly don't look like you are from around here."

"I'm from The Village Hidden in the Leaves, Konoha," Naruto said. Makarov raised an eyebrow at this. He would like to consider himself pretty well versed in the different areas in Earthland, but he had never heard of such a place as Konoha.

"Do you know where you are right now?" Makarov asked. Naruto pondered for a second, but shook his head. Makarov sighed.

"Naruto, you are in Magnolia, inside of a guild known as Fairy Tail." Makarov said. Naruto blankly stared at the man.

Now having a more level head, Naruto remembered his memories prior to this situation. His long battle with Madara and Obito, followed by his battle with Kaguya, and finished by his battle with Sasuke. At this point Naruto's breathing began to pick up. He had won right? His friends were safe… right? Naruto was beginning to have a nervous breakdown until Makarov enlarged his hand and lightly chopped Naruto's head, snapping him out of his nervous thoughts.

Seeing how Makarov had Naruto's attention once more, he spoke, "I apologize for hitting you, but you needed to calm down. Now I'm not sure where it is that you are from but I will try to assist you any way I can. Unfortunately I can only accommodate you for a short time until you are able to support yourself here. However, I can tell that you are the fighting sort of individual if your initial reaction to us was any sort of factor. Nobody falls through a roof and pulls a knife on their saviors without being trained to be that cautious and quick."

Naruto nodded slowly. Naruto wasn't sure exactly where he was going with this, but he would need as much help as he could get in this foreign land.

Makarov continued, "So I have a proposition for you. You can join my guild temporarily. You wouldn't even need to receive a guild mark unless you wish to stay with us permanently. I can explain to the other members that your acceptance into the guild is going to be different, so they at least won't bother you as much, but knowing them they will try to assimilate you into our family as soon as possible." Makarov finished, chuckling to himself.

At this point Naruto was very confused, but to him it sounded like a guild took in fighters to hire. There were other members that from Makarov's description would probably try and approach him and be friendly with them. Naruto didn't mind that too much actually. He got along well enough with people, hopefully they would be around his age. Although he would have to try and not get too attached to him.

"I accept I guess. Not like I have many options anyways," Naruto said with a small smile. Makarov nodded and held his hand upwards towards Naruto. Naruto met the old man's hand halfway and grasped it firmly before shaking once.

'I can see the pain in your eyes, along with the confusion and anxiety. My children and I will try our best to assist you in your plight.' Makarov thought hopefully.